Winthrop Continues Run in Big South and Earns an N.C.A.A. Berth

Mantoris Robinson scored 14 points and Winthrop used its smothering defense to win another Big South Conference title Saturday, 64-53 against Coastal Carolina.

The third-seeded Eagles (19-13) have built a dynasty in the Big South, reaching their fifth N.C.A.A. tournament in six years and their ninth since 1999. For the second time in three years, they won the league tournament on an opponent’s home court.

“When you come to Winthrop, you’ve got to know this is expected,” Robinson said.

After Winthrop forced a shot-clock violation, Reggie Middleton’s basket with 9 minutes 49 seconds left put the Eagles ahead for good. Winthrop outscored the Chanticleers by 26-17 the rest of the way.

This was a rematch of the 2006 conference title game, which Winthrop won, 51-50.

On Saturday, the Eagles held Coastal Carolina to 36.5 percent shooting from the field. Joseph Harris, the Chanticleers’ first-team Big South forward, was 1 of 6 from the field and scored 3 points.

Chad Gray had 16 points to lead Coastal Carolina (28-6), which will receive a bid to the National Invitation Tournament for winning the Big South regular-season title.

Winthrop Coach Randy Peele, a former Eagles assistant, has taken the foundation built by Gregg Marshall and kept things going. This tournament victory was especially gratifying after Winthrop finished an uncharacteristic fifth in the Big South last season and started 4-9 this year.

The Chanticleers led, 20-15, with nine minutes remaining in the first half and appeared to be pulling away. But the Eagles clamped down on defense, holding Coastal Carolina scoreless for seven minutes. Coastal Carolina took another 5-point lead, 34-29, with 13:15 left, but Robinson made a free throw and then hit a 3-pointer, and the Chanticleers never led by more than 3 again.

With the clock winding down, a Winthrop fan held up a sign that read “Bring on John Wall,” Kentucky’s talented freshman guard.

The Eagles upset sixth-seeded Notre Dame in the N.C.A.A. tournament in 2007, and took second-seeded Tennessee to the buzzer in 2006.

E. TENNESSEE ST. 72, MERCER 66 Justin Tubbs scored 18 points off the bench as East Tennessee State beat Mercer in the Atlantic Sun tournament title game in Macon, Ga. Tommy Hubbard had 14 points for the Buccaneers (20-14), who are headed back to the N.C.A.A. tournament after winning the Atlantic Sun title last season. E. J. Kusnyer scored 16 points for the Bears (16-17), who were in a conference final for the first time since 1996.

MURRAY ST. 62, MOREHEAD 51 Isaiah Canaan scored 16 points off the bench, and Murray State earned its 14th trip to the N.C.A.A. tournament by beating Morehead State in the Ohio Valley Conference title game in Nashville. The Racers (30-4) set a team record for victories in a season. Kenneth Faried, the conference’s player of the year, had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Eagles (23-10), the defending tournament champion.

A version of this article appears in print on March 7, 2010, on page SP6 of the New York edition with the headline: Winthrop Continues Run in Big South and Earns an N.C.A.A. Berth. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe